Safety electric switch



A. R. GARDNER.

SAFEY ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APII. 23. 1920.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922;

earner Application filed April 23,

To all 107mm 'it may' concern.'

Be it known that i. Animar R. GARDNER, a citizen oi the United States, and resident of St. Louis7 lviissonri, have invented cer# tain new and useful Improvements in a Safety Electric Switch, ci which the follow` ing is a speciication.

This invention relates to improvements in a safety electric switch, the same being of the knife switch type al] encased Within ya housing and operated by a handle on the ontside oi the housing with a means attached for operating the switch and converting it into a snap switch type.

A `further object of my invention is to construct a. switch which is to be manipulatediso as to make and break the Contact with a snap so as to prevent arcing and thereby binding the Contact points with which the blade of the'sivitlch communicates.

VA further object is to construct the switch with an intermediate mechanism which will make a'nd break the Contact with a jerk or snap wit-hout in any Way causing ingury to the hands ofA the operator When manipulating said switch. A

The entire mechanism with the exception of the operating handle being encased in the housing so as to'make tlie switch absolutely safe to the operajtor.`

Figure 1, is a 'side view of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a top plan view with the cover of the housing removed.

Fig.- 3, is a central sectional View of the same. I

Fig. e, is. a central horizontal 'sectional view. i

Fig. 5, is a detail sectional` vie-W showing the intermediate 'operating mecl'ianism for' manipulating the'kniie switch and showing the saine in closed position.

F ig. ii, is `a similar view to showing the Contact brok-en.

Fig. 7, is a detail sectional View of aportion of the operating mechanism for manipulating the intermediate mechanism.

Fig. 8, is a detail sectional View eta portion of the operating mechanism showing the means for removing the sudden jerk from the handle.

Fig. 9, is a detail peispective View of the sleeve to which the operating handle is at-f tached.

in the general construction 0i my invention i'. provide a suitable housing or other e ein IJIISS'URI, ASSGNOR OF O3. LOVEBIDGE, BOTE OF ST. Lb THS,

necication of Letters Ea'tent.

Patented E., '22.

1923. Serial To.. Pil.

casing consisting of a bottom 10, side Walls ll and l2 and end Walls lc. To one ci the side -Walls hingedly mounted a cover le by which the entire interior mechanism is concealed from View.

in this housing or casing is mounted my improved switch which consists of an insulated base-plate 14 secureiy fastened to the bottom of the housing and on thisbase plate is mounted contact points i5 and the knife switch supporting members 16 which are in the 'orn oi eared members firmly secured, to the b ase and between kthe same are hing edly supported the Contact blades or knife switches 17.

fr. e supporting 'clips 18 in Wliiehare ported theA fuses of the standard type.

in this/'particular illustration ceinprises my invention l'. show a switch,construeted of three contacts thereby providing the blades or knife switches i? whicii are connected together'by cross rod 19 and heid thereto/by the ciam By means of this cross bar blades are simultaneously operated and thi bar is connected to a crank arm lever 2i be* means of the connecting iinks 'the cran i; arm has suitable bearing the housing., its one end having bearing' in the Wall i at the point indicated by the numeral the other end extending into a cylindrical er tension 24 forming a part of a. disc portion oi the peripher Y oi this disc being provided with gear teeth 26- and these teeth in turn are arranged in mesh with gem:n 'teeth 2T iformed on a ce 'axiaily mounted on the eenen-ding disc 12 iii ci the 1nous ing.

To the disc Q8 is pivotali swivel llink 29 to which is Aattache 30, the other end of the spri" i an adjnstinghook 31, the posar link ,is such as to cause thediscs to be operated by means of pressure being exerted thereon by the springs 30, either in one or the other direction so as to operate the switch with a sudden jerk or sna'p at a time "-.vhen the iinl; reaches a point over the center-:of the axis on which the disc Q8 is moli'uted.

Cin the disc 25 is firmly attached a yoke? "32, Vthis yoke straddles the vertical portion iOG yic

m enfer crate treely'until one or the other horizontal portions 34 of the yoke is brought in contact with the crank erin, at the saine time the discs are rotating and just as soon as the pivot point of the link 29 passes the center of the axis on which the disc 28 is i mounted 1t wlll cause the discs to operate with a snap thereby throwing tlile imite enfitches or Contact blades in or out ot contact with a quick and rapid snap.4

During this operation in order to avoid sudden action from jerking the handrtif the eperator when manipulating the switklh by means ot' the handle 33', I attach the hand-le 33 in the sleeve 34', this sleeve is slipped over the cylindrical projection Qland the sameis held in position thereon by means of a'lrey 35 passing diagonallyl through the sleeve and extending into a groove 36 formed in the projection 24, this permits movement of the sleeve on the projection yet holds thesame from being pulled oli", and in order to provide forthe snap operation and to relieve the jerk from the hand, the sleeve is provided with a recess 37 in Whichis inmy serted a key 38 mounted on the projectiony This recess is of sufficient width as to allow movement olf the key when the spring pressure creates its action on the discs.

in Figs. 6 and 7 l show positions the switch assumes, in Fig. 6, the contact is breiten and theV yolre 32 is in contact with the portion of the crank arm but when it is desired to close the switch the discs are permitted to rotate withoutl manipulating the switch until the yoke 32 comesin a position us shown by dotted lines' 239 shown in Figg; then the switch is gradually moving 'forward to a closed position until the link 29 raises slightly above the center of the unis andv then by the pulling of the spring the blades are swiftly inserted between the contact points l5 without in any Way cans-- 'ing an are. i

Leicester ji i an-tl' suie as, tooperate the switch under sin-ing pressure to cause the switch to open and close instantly and the movement is limited by' means of Contact of the un isturbed or uri-toothed portion et the periphery ot the discs as that indicated by the numeral 40.

Having tully described my invention what l claim is:

l, .lt switch. oit the character described comprising a housing, a crank shaft/supported therein, a base plate mounted in the housing a plurality of contact blades hing; eclly mounted to the base plate, a connecting arm having connection with the contact blades, a pair of links cennecting the crank arm to the connecting rod, a pair otdiscs axially mounted to the side of the housing,

the one end of the crank arms passing centrally through one of said discs, a spring communicating with the other of' said discs havin@4 a rportion of theirperiphery pio vided with meshing gear teeth, a yoke formed on one ot the'discs'and straddling the crank arun a-,sleeve connected to one et said discs the saine having suitable play so as to' relieve a jerlcto the .hand of the operator, and a handle connected' to the sleeve 'for operating the discs vtofthroiv the switch in and out ot' contact, substantially as spccied. I I l 2. A switch oit the character described comprisinga a pair of axially'mounted discs, a portion of the periphery et each being; provided with meshing gear teetlu' spring attached to one of the discs for operating the saine When the disc is turiied past center, a trunnion formed on;v one or" the'vdiscs end extending; outiverdly, a sleeve located on said trunnion, a key formed in the tru'ni nion which operates in a recess formed in the sleeve, a handle formed on the sleeije iter manipulating the trunniom e crank shaft connected to 'one otsaid discs7 a yolrc torn'iefl on said disc and straddling the crank shatt and luy which the cranlt shaft is thrown r to the right er lett in coinbination 'with a plurality et contact blades inanipin l'ted by the crunli: arnnfsubstantially es specified,

i ln testimony whereof, l@ naine to this speciijicatioin tuo subscribing .wit

l ,Insult j have signed my in :presence et lll'itnesses rinunce it. u.

itl. .iiqusriun 

